Kenneth Tan

Kenneth Tan has worked as a recruiter and trainer, and he is also a career coach (from 2017 to 2019). With experience in senior management with companies in the Manufacturing, Precision Engineering and Supply Chain sectors, his executive experience gives him an edge in his executive search efforts, helping him to successfully place candidates in those sectors in various function which include, Production, Engineering, Quality Management, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales, Business Development, Finance and Information Technology,

His most recent job was Regional Head of Sales and Business Development of Swedish based European MNC Group of Companies in the supply chain sector supporting key customers across various industries including Electronics, Energy & Power, Life Sciences, Medical and Precision Engineering.

Kenneth worked as an executive recruiter for Ascenda Recruitment Group where he placed senior managers and executives in MNCs with a focus in the Manufacturing, Semiconductor, Precision Engineering, and Information Technology sectors. With a high hit rate in placement, he managed the full recruitment process, including sourcing, selection, hiring, on-boarding and post-placement services. Besides utilizing effective recruitment methods (conventional and social media platforms), he spent relentless efforts in understanding his clients’ requirements and even helped to draft job descriptions when requested. Hence, he is able to advise candidates through highlighting hiring managers’ expectations and better prepare the candidates for their job interviews. When negotiating compensation packages, Kenneth is able to balance the interests of the hiring company and the candidate and successfully close the deal.

Kenneth is a certified trainer and career coach. He has trained hundreds of executives and service staff (including those recipients of Singapore’s Excellence Service Award organized by Enterprise Singapore). He also trained seniors in using digital tools such as the tablet, smart phones and digital payment tools based on content endorsed by Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore. Part of his work also included delivery of course content, managing training workshops, analysing evaluation feedback to share with training organizations and suggesting areas for improvement.

Kenneth has also worked as an Associate Lecturer at the Singapore Institute of Technology, teaching Career Planning and Communication Skills including interview skills and personal branding through use of social media like LinkedIn. Being a certified career coach, he mentored undergraduates, fresh graduates and mid-career professionals in their job search. He is also a volunteer and provided career-coaching through Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises in helping ex-offenders in their career planning.

Prior to working as a recruiter, trainer and career coach, Kenneth was the General Manager (2010 to 2016) of a Taiwan-based MNC Connector and was then head-hunted to regional General Manager, a German maker of metrology equipment. In both positions, he was in charge of overall business and sales and operations where he re-organized the company structure, streamlining the job redesign as well as supporting all the regional operation sites in Southeast Asia. He improved the company’s performance in operational efficiency, sustainability and continuity and turned it from making a loss to becoming profitable within one year.

Kenneth worked as Business Development/ Marketing manager of a local company in precision engineering from 2002-2010 as the. As the head of marketing and business development, he helped grow the international sales which was below 5% of the group’s revenue when he joined and increased it to above 20%. He developed new overseas markets in automotive, energy and power, and pharmaceutical and medical, and increased business in existing segments in consumer electronics and home appliances. Kenneth was a member of taskforce of foreign investment in establishing new operations in Thailand and USA and developed new business for the China site.

Kenneth has a Diploma in Sales and Marketing from the Marketing Institute of Singapore (1988), a Diploma in Management Studies from the Singapore Institute of Management (1992), a Master’s in Business Administration with major in International Business Management from University of Reading/ Henley Business School, an Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment awarded by the Institute for Adult Learning (formerly under the Ministry of Manpower and now merged with Singapore University of Social Sciences), Certificate in Employment Intermediary certified under Singapore National Trades Union Congress Learning Hub (2016) and a Specialist Diploma in Career Coaching and Counselling from Republic Polytechnic (2018) of Singapore.